


Nuqtat Alaiqtiran

by steelneena



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, I did a lot of research because it's fun, fits outside of 'canon' too, for me at least, read that as legends, tfa does not exist in my universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 02:52:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7917616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steelneena/pseuds/steelneena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Are you enjoying the festivities Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked his young padawan.</p><p>Anakin twisted his mouth into something that wasn’t quite a frown. While the celebration really was fun, it wasn’t what he was used to, and the particular things celebrated were making him homesick for his mother and friends. If the Festival of Life was supposed to have been a celebration of family, then, when it was underway two weeks prior, Anakin certainly felt that he’d missed out.</p><p>No, it wasn't like home at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nuqtat Alaiqtiran

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fialleril](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fialleril/gifts).



> Its hard for me to believe that this began as a Christmas fic. but my muse was robbed by TFA (I'm not a fan by any stretch of the imagination), so I decided to make something better of it. I like doing research in George's sandbox, so this includes a lot. Very few things I made up, most is legit from some source or another. Anything I did make up I used the same technique which Lucas and his creative team did. It works both within and without of canon (read legends), as you like. The legend is from my imagination completely. I credit some inspiration and the meaning of Anakin's name to fialleril, though my story differs greatly from theirs. Thanks for your amazing insights and wonderful AU's. You're a real inspiration. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Thank you also to my lovely beta and good friend, hungover-angel on tumblr, and themothpit for his insights.

The first year Anakin lived at the temple was a period of great learning. There was so much knowledge and culture to absorb, so many customs to navigate that it was overwhelming. Many of them were stiff, yet showy affairs; Coruscant was especially concerned with the Arts, and so, many affairs were grandiose, high-class spectacles. One of these was Fete Week. Tatooine, being too far from the Core Worlds, didn’t celebrate it. In fact, Anakin had never even heard of it. But all on Coruscant seemed to participate in the celebration of the New Year, even those within the Temple .

_ “It’s a grand thing, Anakin,” _ Obi-Wan had told him the week before the celebration began.  _ “We hold three festivals. The Festival of Life, the Festival of Stars and the Galactic Fair. It’s an incredible sight and not one you’ll soon forget,” _

_ “But why do we celebrate, Master?” _ Anakin had been confused. Three festivals, but for what? The New Year had never been something to write home about, though Anakin was considering asking special permission to do just that. He wondered, briefly, if his Mother had once participated in the holiday. She had not been born on Tatooine. Indeed, she hadn’t even been born a slave, he remembered bitterly.

_ “The first week is to bring attention to friendship, and for those whom it concerns, family. The second is to celebrate intergalactic travel and mutual appreciation for all the good it has brought us. Thirdly, the Galactic Fair. It’s the most celebratory of all, but instead of being a mostly private affair, like the other two, it’s rather a public display of goodwill. It’s hosted each year on Coruscant, though other systems do put on their own parades. The majority of it takes place on the Glitannai Esplanade and in the end, the masses congregate at Pliada di am Imperium, for dancing and food and drink,” _

All of this was new to Anakin, and he still wasn’t quite sure he understood it as he watched the revelries of the Galactic Fair, surveying the crowd’s rambunctious pleasure from the balcony above the Esplanade. Obi-Wan stood by his side, quietly, but not stern. For once, it seemed his Master was at total peace and contentedness.

“Are you enjoying the festivities Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked his young padawan.

Anakin twisted his mouth into something that wasn’t quite a frown. While the celebration really was fun, it wasn’t what he was used to, and the particular things celebrated were making him homesick for his mother and friends. If the Festival of Life was supposed to have been a celebration of family, then, when it was underway two weeks prior, Anakin certainly felt that he’d missed out. The Temple occupants had participated in the Festival of Life by sharing meditations, food and drink, quietly, usually in the company of masters and padawans and grandpadawans (if applicable) or close confidants. He’d spent time with his Master and his Master’s friends Bant Eerin and Garen Muln as well as their respective Padawans. But mostly, it was he and Obi-Wan, sharing quiet, reflective time together. There was a small gift exchange, but they were practical things, meant with best intentions but, to Anakin at least, they lacked the emotions which had always accompanied the giving of gifts in the past. Gifts were no small thing to Anakin. If he received anything back on Tatooine, it was honored. They already had so little.

Obi-Wan too, it seemed, was lacking interest in this latest affair. His words of explanation were stilted and halting, and there was something in his manner that was restrained. This, Anakin assumed, was most likely because Obi-Wan was feeling the same way. Qui-Gon’s death was a shadow hanging over his Master even though he’d long since claimed to have released his sorrow into the Force. That at least had been evident during the festival of life.

“It’s not like at home,” Was the answer he settled for. It earned Anakin Obi-Wan’s raised brow. “We didn’t celebrate Fete Week at all. I’ve never heard of it. We have other things though. There’s celebration for lots of things. The Hutt’s celebrate Boonta’s Eve for three days. You were there for that, but that’s not the same. Mom and I…”

“It’s alright not to share, Anakin, if you don’t feel comfortable,” Obi-Wan placed a firm hand on his shoulder, reassuringly. The padawan looked away, but continued.

“The Hutts aren’t really from Tatooine,” He rolled his eyes. Everyone knew that, of course, including his Master. Obi-Wan just nodded, encouraging Anakin to continue. “Boonta’s Eve is celebrated on the other Hutt colonized planets. The Hutts don’t celebrate Tatooine holidays. I was so little when we got to Tatooine... I don’t…it’s not the same. We celebrate…” he mulled his thoughts over for an appropriate word. “ _ Happenings _ . We celebrate Happenings. Births, deaths, moon cycles, solstices. Stuff like that. The Hutts don’t even know about those things. They aren’t from Tatooine, so they don’t really care,”

“Would you tell me about one of your  _ Happenings _ ?”

At that moment the acrobats performed a particularly incredible feat, sending the crowd wild. The uproarious noise drowned out all else and Anakin forced himself to tip toes to watch more easily from the balcony. The conversation could wait.

And wait it did.

It was nearly five Galactic standard months since the night of the Fair and Anakin found himself wistful. He’d hid himself away in the Room of a Thousand Fountains that night, wishing, despite himself, to be back on Tatooine.

Back with the sand, and the unbearable heat and even the slavery.

On this night especially, he missed home.

“Something wrong Anakin?” Obi-Wan’s gentle tones filtered through the haze of Anakin’s memories.

Laboriously, Anakin pulled a small data pad from behind where he’d been sitting, and handed it to Obi-Wan.  

“I was just curious. I didn’t even realize, but I wanted to know. It was yesterday, and I missed it,” Anakin sighed heavily. “I missed the Syzygy,”

“The moons aligned?” Obi-Wan inquired, intrigued. 

“Yep. We call it Nuqtat Alaiqtiran. Ghomrassen, Guermessa and Chenini. Named for the Three Great Ghorfa warriors from long ago. It’s an old Tusken story and Tatooine folktale. Alkhara learned it from the Sand People when he first came to Tatooine,” Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan, whose face was vacant. He smirked a little before explaining. “Alkhara was an outlaw. A bandit! But he told everyone what he learned. He’s the one who named the moons. He’s kind of a legend now. Anyways…we tell the story to celebrate the Alignment, because the story happened during a Syzygy. It’s tradition.  _ The Legend of Tadhiat Lilttanin, _ ” Anakin shrugged. “I have it memorized, if you want to hear it,”

Obi-Wan smiled placating, but also with genuine interest. And so, Anakin began.

“Ghomrassen, Guermessa and Chenini were the greatest warriors Ghorfa had ever seen. They were Koroght, which we call Storm Brothers. They were blessed by the desert because they survived, and they went into the wastes together to become men. Seven days  into their task, there was a Syzygy. The moons aligned in the shadow of Tatooine and the darkness that fell upon the land was great. The brothers stumbled along their way until they came to a cave. It was enormous and inside one of the fabled Greater Krayt Dragons was - “ Anakin broke from the story. 

“You  _ do _ know what a Krayt Dragon is right?” He asked precociously. Obi-Wan smiled. 

“Humour me, Anakin, I’m all ears,” The older man replied.

“Well, it’s a huge beast with ten legs that could grow to a hundred meters! Anyway, inside, one was sleeping. This was the greatest of them all, called Alttanin the Death Mother!” With the utterance of the title, Anakin’s eyes grew wide with excitement. “At first they were afraid, but they could not become men until they put their fear aside and slew the creature. Ghomrassen approached the sleeping beast and lifted his gaderffii, but the Krayt rose above him, it’s white scales glowing brightly in the darkness and it’s eyes glinting fiercely. She fought them to their last muster and eventually, one by one, they bowed to her, all in a line, saying ‘Hu raka’ – I surrender. Then, the Death Mother lowered her great head to the first brother. (That was Ghomrassen, he said, aside) She spoke to him in his mind.

_ Ghomrassen! You and your brothers have fought bravely. You are Koroght, and I will not slay you. Instead, I will enact a covenant. When your children and your children’s children and so forth come into the desert to test themselves against my sisters, we will not seek vengeance, but if you slay any one of them without cause, it will come back to destroy you. Your people will be cursed and slain for your actions. Every man, woman and child will perish.  _

Each of the brothers swore to Alttanin their honorable word, and left in peace, and as men. They returned to their settlement, telling all there of the deal brokered. Their trial was complete and Ghomrassen became the Chieftain of that tribe. But Guermessa knew that inside the Krayt was hidden the most precious pearls with strange power, and he desired them for himself.

So Guermessa convinced Chenini to go with him out into wastes once more, in search of a Krayt and its pearl. They happened upon a sister and slaughtered her, taking the pearl from her stomach, and sending out battle cries into the wilderness in victory. They returned with the same harkening calls to their tribe, but the StoryTeller-“ Anakin paused, turning to Obi-Wan. “The StoryTeller is the wise woman of the tribe. That’s not in the story because everyone knows it already,” He stated, matter-of-factly, before continuing. “rebuked them in anger-

“You have tempted fate! You are Koroght, but that cannot save all of us! You slaughtered a sister Krayt without purpose, and Alttanin will have her wrath!”

For years they lived prosperously, but in eternal fear of the Death Mother. Guermessa had no remorse, and so the people began to call him Prodorissac, or the Great Betrayer, and so that is what he became, for names hold great destiny. One day, Prodorissac went out hunting with Ghomrassen and slew him in his greed and desire for power. Upon returning, he blamed his older brother’s death on a Krayt attack, and this is why the Sand People and the Krayt continue to do battle to this day.

While his older brother reveled in all his ill-gotten gains, Chenini began to mistrust him, and his regret grew for what he had done. He had betrayed his oath, and so had betrayed himself. In the dead of night, Chenini stole the precious pearl out into the desert in search of the Death Mother’s cave.

He approached Alttanin, who was watching him out of the darkness and offered her the pearl. In one swift move she swallowed the precious thing.

Then, she raged at him in her fierce anger.

_ You have brought destruction upon yourself! There is no recourse! You will pay for your traitorous ways!  _  And in her eyes, Chenini could see that she was saddened by the outcome. Distraught, he begged for her forgiveness, and, in shame of his broken oath, offered his life as recompense.  

The Death Mother raised her great claws to strike him down and Chenini waited with bravery for the blow, but it never came. He watched, wary, as the creature lowered its claws, scrutinizing him with great curiously. It was eons that they watched one another, until, Alttanin gave a single hissing roar.

_ You have freed yourself. You are now Tadhiat Lilttanin, Sacrifice to the Dragon. No master can bind you as long as you do not abandon your purpose. Tread careful on your way. _

As he made to leave the cave, she spoke once more.

_ There will be a reckoning.” _

There was a quiet lull in the wake of the story’s end as Obi-Wan thought it over carefully.

“That’s quite the tale, Ani,” He said softly. “How did you celebrate…actually,  _ why  _ did you celebrate?”

Anakin smiled darkly.

“It’s a celebration of namings. We used to all get together. Me and Mom and Kitster. Wald, Amee, Dorn. My other friends and some of Mom’s. Even Greedo, when he wasn’t being completely  _ dopa-maskey _ ,” The Huttese word sounded at home in Anakin’s mouth, and Obi-Wan quirked a smile. His apprentice was very fond of dropping desert-born swears when he knew he was supposed to be behaving. “Men, women, kids. All types. The story just fit us,”

“Us?”

Anakin mumbled something, but Obi-Wan didn’t catch it.

“Say again?”

“Slaves,” The mumble was audible that time. “Only slaves celebrate Nuqtat Alaiqtiran…at least, I don’t know if the Sand People do or not, or how they do, if that’s the case. But no one else does. Just us. The story...It just  _ fit _ . Mom used to say that some stories were universal. That they spoke to all people. But this one spoke to us. If Chenini could become Tadhiat Lilttanin, if he could stay on his path, and not forget himself, then we all could too,” Anakin grew quiet. “We could be free…”

Obi-Wan’s face paled.

“We would go outside and watch the alignment, and then Mom would start the story. She was our StoryTeller usually. Once, I think, Jira did it, but I can’t really remember. We’d all listen, and when she got to the end, we’d sort of…I dunno, act it out,” Abruptly, Anakin’s explanation cut off.

“You don’t have to tell me Anakin, I’ll understand,”

After a moment, the boy continued. “We would recall our names, and what they meant,” It was all he added, and Obi-Wan knew that he was leaving out something very important, but didn’t push. It was private, and immensely significant to his padawan. Taking a breath, Obi-Wan chanced one more question.

“If you don’t mind, what is the meaning of your name, Anakin?”

His apprentice looked off into the distance, and Obi-Wan knew in that moment that the boy was far, far away.

* * *

 

_ It was dark. Only the small candle flames illuminated the face of Shmi Skywalker and those gathered before her. It was quiet except for her voice as she told the Legend of Tadhiat Lilttanin. Silence hung in the air as the tale ended, and, one by one, each of those gathered stood. Shmi already knew their names, knew what they meant. A dark haired boy, one of Anakin’s friends, was first. He came before her, as Chenini before the Death Mother, and placed a small stone, intricately carved, into the bowl that Shmi held. Then, she spoke the words. _

_ Each person came up, and from each of them she took an offering, and for each of them she gave a name, a reminder, a destiny. _

_ Anakin stood last. He came before her, and placed the offering into the bowl, and she spoke the words.  _

_ In one quick motion, Shmi splashed some accelerant over the offerings, and Kitster’s mother handed her the matches. She struck one, and it glowed brightly against the night before she let it fall into the bowl. The flames lept, sudden and engulfing. Silent, they watched as it died down, until just tongues licked at the edges of the bowl, until the flames were cinders and ash. Shmi took the bowl in hand and tipped the sooty remains into small bags of Jerba leather. Each she tied and hung on the rod above the doorway. As silent as they had arrived, the participants dispersed. The moons had begun on their ways once more.  _

_ Anakin stood, staring up at the sky, as his mother watched from the doorway, melancholy. She disappeared inside their hovel in the Ksar. The moons moved farther from one another, and Anakin remained watching, until the first rays of Tatoo I could be see on the horizon, his mother’s voice echoing in his head. _

_“You have freed yourself. You are Anakin, the One Who Brings the Rain,_ _no Master can bind you as long as you do not abandon your purpose. Tread careful on your way,”_

**Author's Note:**

> The retribution promised is of course Anakin slaughtering the tribe in ep II.


End file.
